ENGLISH 010 FUNDAMENTALS OF WRITING

Students who complete ENGLISH 010 will demonstrate through small units of prose proficiency in 1.) use of writing processes, 2.) critical awareness when reading and writing, and 3.) stylistic fluency and technical accuracy. These goals may be achieved through the sub-goals listed below each proficiency.


1. Facility with writing processes for paragraphs and short essays:

  • demonstrate ability to
    • invent; (prewriting strategies such as freewriting, outlining, brainstorming individually and in groups, use the journalist’s questions and topics of arguments such as cause, comparison, and definition to discover ideas)
    • arrange (outline or use “discovery drafting” to find appropriate shapes for texts);
    • compose (draft texts in response to requests for specific kinds of writing);
    • revise (return to the draft and “see” it again to evaluate the focus, development, and arrangement of a document--revise according to those needs); and
    • edit (avoid errors and inappropriate word choices that detract from the meaning and attractiveness of a text);
  • use computer technology effectively in composing processes;
  • practice effective collaborative writing strategies;
  • evaluate student's own writing methods; (i.e., journal on discovery of one's writing process)
  • evaluate the revision needs in the work of other writers.


2. Critical awareness when reading and writing:
  • identify the differences between formal and colloquial language, written and oral language;
  • identify central and supporting ideas in primary and secondary texts;
  • identify electronic and print resources for locating and supporting texts;
  • employ a range of patterns for developing paragraphs; (i.e., description, comparison, illustration, narration)
  • use adequate support to meet needs of specific audiences;
  • analyze texts on sentence and paragraph levels for rhetorical/aesthetic features.


3. Exercise consistent stylistic fluency and technical accuracy:
  • demonstrate subordination and coordination when expressing ideas;
  • use specific words to express precise meaning for academic and professional audiences;
  • write with the language, grammar, usage, and punctuation appropriate for a community of readers;
  • evaluate and apply effective strategies for revising and editing.



Previous draft:

1. Use of writing processes:

(r is flush left) (p is in parentheses)
  • invent; (prewriting strategies such as freewriting, outlining, brainstorming individually and in groups, use the journalist’s questions and topics of arguments such as cause, comparison, and definition to discover ideas)
  • arrange (outline or use “discovery drafting” to find appropriate shapes for texts);
  • compose (draft texts in response to requests for specific kinds of writing);
  • revise (return to the draft and “see” it again to evaluate the focus, development, and arrangement of a document--revise according to those needs); and
  • edit (avoid errors and inappropriate word choices that detract from the meaning and attractiveness of a text);
  • self-evaluate students’ own writing methods; (journal on discovery of one's writing process)
  • use computer technology effectively in composing processes.

2. Demonstrate critical awareness when reading and writing:

  • demonstrate an awareness of audience and purpose when writing;
  • identify the differences between formal and colloquial language, written and oral language;
  • apply appropriate relationships between ideas for an audience; (for example, cause/effect, compare/contrast, temporal relationships)
  • model a range of patterns for developing paragraphs; (for example, descriptive, comparison, example, narrative)
  • analyze texts on sentence and paragraph levels for rhetorical/aesthetic features;
  • identify central and supporting ideas in primary and secondary texts;
  • demonstrate an awareness of electronic resources for locating and supporting texts;
  • practice effective collaborative writing strategies.

3. Exercise consistent stylistic fluency and technical accuracy:

  • use specific words to express precise meaning for academic and other real-world audiences;
  • express ideas in a variety of sentence structures, demonstrating awareness of the purposes and demands of subordination and coordination;
  • write for a community of readers with the language, conventions of grammar and usage, and punctuation appropriate for that audience;
  • implement effective strategies for revising and editing to produce texts suitable for classroom circulation or on-line publication in a class anthology.